Photo: William Neill/NEILLPICS.CO.UK
The weather held up well for most of Sunday’s Thornton Roofing Lough Neagh Stages Rally with only one heavy shower around mid-day.
The times were tight throughout the field but especially at the top of the leaderboard with the drivers covered by just points of a second. Kieron Graffin was just pipped at the post by George Robinson (pictured above), who won the rally in his Subaru Impreza WRC. Graffin was driving what was basically a GpN Lancer with a big restrictor and pulled out a lead in the rain, but was then under pressure on the drying roads through the afternoon.
"It was a good tight race" reported Graffin afterwards, "the last stage was all or nothing and I slid on at the last corner and had to reverse. A bit wetter and slippier would have suited me better."
Top Three Overall Standings
1st George Robinson
2nd Kieron Graffin
3rd Enda McNulty
The Group N winner was Brian Muldoon in a Subaru Impreza WRX.
Drew Stewart was first 2 wheel drive car home - helped by his seeding - he missed the worst of the torrential rain that fell in the middle of the day.
Paddy Donnelly won spirit of the rally award, finishing with only 3 wheels after the front left stub axle broke on his car, hurtling him into a bale near the finish of the stage. He had been leading his class going into that final stage, so was a deserving winner of this prize.
Joe Pat O’Kane won the entertainer award in his yellow Talbot Sunbeam.
Lough Neagh Stages Rally 2009 Full Results:
Press Release
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